Introduction

Sunken relief is one of the several arts contained in the Menil collection. It is a detailed piece of the Egyptian era and was designed between 1320-1200 BCE or the New Kingdom period.  It is possibly believed that the art was made during this era as an honor to an Egyptian god-king in the form of a human for. It is worth noting that the inscription from the relief label states ‘’the beautiful Horus, the great God, Lord of heaven, one who is foremost,’’ which is an indication that the art was purely intended to glorify a god-king called Horus. According to the Egyptians, it is only this god who had authority both on earth and in heavens. It is prudent to point out that most of the arts carry valuable insights regarding the culture and traditions of the community involved. In this case, sunken relief is an important art that tells a lot about the Egyptian culture.

Description and analysis

Sunken relief is a limestone sculpture that represents different themes from its period.  It is a three-dimensional (3-D) image that is curved below the original surface of the background.  This is different from regular relief where the image is carved away to a certain depth on a flat background, and this could have resulted in the name ‘’Sunken Relief’’. The sculpture measures 58 1/4 × 23 3/4 in. (148 × 60.3 cm). The strokes on this block of limestone display it’s hard but smooth texture, and the vertical registers show different hieroglyphics on the upper right and left of the relief that represents different Egyptian letters. Also, from the surface of the relief, brownish-reddish stains that remain indicates that the sculpture was initially painted but the paint faded away after several years without repainting.  On the same note, the dents shown towards the bottom is an indication that the piece has been worn out and damaged.

The sculpture is found in the Menil Antiquities gallery in Egypt, MFA Building, and first-floor gallery #105. Assyrian, Guardian Figure, from the Northwest Palace of King Ashurnasirpal II at Nimrud, 883-859 B.C. it is placed on the floor of the museum and is clearly visible. Just like it is with other Egyptian art, the piece has several symbols and shapes that the artist uses to deliver the intended message.  For example, the sculpture does not exactly take the shape of human body.  The head takes the shape of a falcon thus making the art not to fully take the human shape. There are also other notable elements such as the necklace around his neck. The use of ‘’wedjat’’, his eyes,  in the sculpture are meant to introduce light to the art.  In fact, the ‘’wedjat’’ symbolizes the moon and the sun which are all source of light. The sculpture is smooth, and there is no implied or actual motion as he is in a stationary mode holding a long scepter.

The sunken relief depicting Horus can be classified as a religious art. The inscription on the art ’’The Perfect Horus, Lord of Heaven, Foremost One of the Bahet’’ is an indication that Horus was a supreme being that had authority on earth as well as in heaven.  The artwork is a sign of how the Egyptians treated their kings like gods. For instance, the necklace around their neck was a symbol of loyalty and status. The little stroke between his fingers on his left hand, on the bottom of the right sculpture, is an ‘’ankh’’, a small looped cross symbolizing the eternal life of Horus. Horus held both earthly and heavenly authority. On the other hand, he holds a long scepter which symbolizes his authority on earth; he is also dressed in a military-like garment which is an indication of his earthly supremacy.  In essence, the artist has effectively used iconography to give a detailed account of how the Egyptians treated their different gods.

Conclusion

In conclusion, “Sunken relief depicting Horus” is an interesting art that represents the Egyptian culture. The ability to use the geometry in designing such an eye-catching sculpture explains my choice on the sculpture. Also, the artist has been able to use different symbols such as the necklace, falcon-shapes, scepter and wedjat to bring out essential information of the loyalty and supremacy of their kings or gods. In my opinion, the artist has been able to deliver a clear message on the spiritual as well as the cultural setting of the Egyptians. It is also imperative to point out that the sculpture has also reminded me of other arts from other parts of the world such as the Greek Parthenon which also has a great sense of shapes and symbols. In essence, the artwork fulfills the purpose and meets the requirements of good art, an opinion that I hope my peers would agree.

References

Fletcher, J. (2010). Exploring the life, myth, and art of ancient Egypt (1st ed.). New York: Rosen Pub.

Steindorff, G. & Seele, K.(2014). When Egypt ruled the East (1st ed.). New York: University of Chicago Press.

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